Life under slavery in the United States Free Essay Example, 4250 words

Some were successful after many failed attempts at escaping (Rodriguez 34). Most slaves escaped to the border states neighboring Free states where they moved to the North where there were freedoms for their lives. Young men found it easier to escape as they were most likely to be sold and were hired out to serve as errand men in other plantations. There were sympathizers who helped slaves escape to the North especially in the 19th century. Most slaves escaped by foot and threw stones to dogs that chased after them, while others stole horses from their masters or hid in ships. In the 19th century, a huge number of slaves escaped to gain freedom (Elkins 35). Slaves also used day-to-day resistance as a form of resistance like sabotage of breaking farming tools setting fire to buildings and striking down slaves that were considered as owner’s property. Some slaves faked sickness and played dumb and this slowed down work at the plantations. Women were able to feign illness to escape working conditions that were harsh and unbearable (Reese 211). They als o pretended not to understand instructions from their masters and their master’s wives. We will write a custom essay sample on Life under slavery in the United States or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Slaves resisted at every chance they got, they also formed a distinct culture through religious beliefs that gave them hope in such severe conditions especially when they were being punished. Economics of Slavery During the American Revolution, it was considered as a national institution because the number of slaves was considerably small. The slaves lived and worked in every colony that were established in American states. Before the Constitution was ratified, some states in the Northern were abolishing slavery (Du Bois 59). The Northwest Ordinance 1787 made slavery illegal in the North and this meant that slavery existed in the South. Between the period of 1790 and the period of Civil War, slaves in America increased and buying of such slaves was common. Around 1820 slavery was mostly in tobacco especially in Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The spread of cotton slavery reached Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana (Elkins 55). The Slave trade had its benefits to the Europeans as they controlled labor of millions of people, which is connected to the growth of industrialization in Europe, capitalization, population growth and scientific evolution. It is also connected to change in social role in families and migration. This benefit came from selling slaves from African Kingdoms whereby most slaves were from the Caribbean and Brazil.